Indonesia's exclusive economic zone off the coast of Natuna slightly overlaps with the large part of the South China Sea controversially claimed by China within its nine-dash line. In 2014-2015, the presence of the Indonesian army on the islands is being reinforced, which the Indonesian government hopes will reduce the chance of any conflict.[3]

According to statistics released in 2010, the population of the islands stood at 69,003 people. 85.27% of the inhabitants are Malayu, with the remainder consisting of Javanese, Sumatrans and Chinese.

Despite being politically part of Indonesia, the majority of the inhabitants trace their ancestry to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The prevailing language is the Terengganu dialect of Malay. Malaysia has no claims to the Natunas and acknowledges the islands as Indonesian territory.